


Nothin Like You

by WannaBeBold



Series: Ellick Playlist [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: AU, F/M, Meet in a coffee shop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:29:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24417412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WannaBeBold/pseuds/WannaBeBold
Summary: I remember when I first met youSipping coffee in a corner boothYou were twirling your hairAnd I just had to stare
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Series: Ellick Playlist [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761892
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	Nothin Like You

“Hey, morning Kasie!” She greeted her friend behind the counter as she walked in the coffee shop. 

“Morning B! Got your table ready for ya! Coffee might be a minute.” 

“No problem Kase!” She waved a thanks to her friend and went to her normal spot. One of the perks of being best friends with the owner and a regular, she always had a table for her and all of the baristas knew her order. Sitting down, she glanced around at the shop that was busier than usual for a Tuesday morning and prepared to work.

Standing at the counter waiting for his coffee he thought about this little shop that had quickly become a favorite for him. He had only been coming to this place for a few weeks but it seemed like it was the kind you became a regular at and he smiled at the thought. Looking around the room, he was stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of a blond woman in the corner booth. She was sipping on her coffee and twirling her hair as she looked over the sheet of paper in front of her. He couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw the stack of books that were sitting on the table. Seeming to sense his presence, she looked up at him and smiled shyly before going back to whatever she was reading. He knew then and there that he had to get to know this woman.

She was in the middle of reading over the new booklist for the summer when she felt someone’s eyes on her. Glancing up, she caught the eyes of a man standing at the counter, staring straight at her. Expecting him to just be getting his coffee and leaving, she sent a small shy smile his way before turning back to her list. No matter how hard she tried to focus on her work however, she couldn’t get the handsome stranger out of her mind. She had seen him in here once or twice before but never thought someone like him could be interested in someone like her. He was clearly the type of guy who spent most of his time in the gym while she was a total bookworm. Taking a quick glance back up she saw him getting his coffee and sighed. She’d have to remember to ask Kasie about him later. 

“Large iced latte with caramel for Nick!” Hearing his name, he turned around to grab his coffee, mumbling a thanks to the barista before turning around to look again at the blonde. 

“You could just go up to her ya know.” Not expecting the voice he jumped, his latte splashing out on his hand. “Oh, sorry about that. Here ya go.” She held out a stack of napkins to him which he gratefully took.

“Thanks,” he glanced up to read the nametag, “Kasie.” Taking the napkins, he wiped up the spilled latte and turned back to her. “But uh, how did you know I was uh-” 

“Really dude?” She tilted her head in exasperation before continuing. “You’ve been staring at her since you saw her. I had to call your name three times for you coffee before you even responded and then you just turned right back to look at her. If you’re not interested then you’re a creeper and I should call the cops.” 

Nick chuckled at her and held up his free hand. “I’m not a creeper. Promise. And yeah, okay, so I may be a little interested.” At her look he amended his words. “Okay a lot interested. But how do I know she would be? Hell, she might not even be single.” As he spoke the words he mentally hoped that she was single and interested in him but he didn’t know how to approach her. He may normally be confident when it came to women but this one was different, there was no way he was going to be using his usual moves to win her over.

Kasie rolled her eyes at the man in front of her and looked in her friend's direction. She was completely in her zone, oblivious to the world around her, and luckily not paying any attention to their little conversation. “Listen, Nick was it?” At his nod she continued. “She is single and she would definitely be interested, trust me. I’ve seen her look your way a few times since you’ve come in.” His eyes went wide and she grabbed the coffee to hand to him. “Here, take this over to her. She should be ready for a refill now.” He gave her a questioning look as she shoved the coffee pot at him. “Well? Go!” 

Taking Kasie’s lead, he grabbed the handle of the coffee pot and started walking over to the booth. Glancing back, he received a thumbs up and lifted his cup to her in thanks, before continuing on with his mission. Now next to the table, he cleared his throat to get her attention and couldn’t help but smile at her shocked expression. “Refill?”  _ Oh real smooth Torres, real smooth.  _

Too focused on the newest book, she didn’t notice there was anyone standing next to her until she heard a throat clearing. Expecting to see a barista, she couldn’t control her jump or the shocked expression that crossed her face when she saw the handsome stranger from earlier. Her eyes flicked between his face, his to-go cup, and the pot of coffee in his hand before resting back on his face and shaking her head. “Oh uh, yes please. Thank you…” she trailed off, hoping he would fill in with his name. 

“Nick. It’s Nick Torres.” The smile he gave her warmed her heart and she couldn’t help but smile back as he poured her coffee. 

“Ellie, Ellie Bishop.” 

“Nice to meet you Ellie.” She felt a flutter in her stomach at the way this man, Nick, said her name.

“You too Nick.” He started to turn away before she reached out a hand and lightly grabbed his elbow. “Would you uh, care to join me? That is, if you have time.” she gestured to his to-go cup.

“I have plenty of time. And I would love to.” Nick slid into the booth across from her and gestured to the pile of books on the table. “So uh, are you a student or do you just really like to read?” Unlike most guys who judged her on the amount of books she always had near her, he seemed genuinely curious.

“Nope, not a student. And while I love to read, these aren’t completely for leisure. I own the bookstore next door and like to read the new releases a week before they hit the shelves.” Nick let out a low whistle. 

“Damn Ellie, you can read all of those in a week?” Used to that response she just shrugged. “I’m impressed. I don’t think I’ve ever read that many in a year.” She actually laughed at that and he felt himself smile at the sound. He really wanted to hear it more. “So, any good ones?” He reached for a book on the top of the stack that seemed interesting and she swatted his hand away.

“Oh no mister. You’re gonna have to wait until next week like the rest of the world.” Laughing, he held his hands up in surrender. “So Nick, despite your coffee pouring abilities I take it you don’t actually work here?” 

“Ah no, I don’t. I’m actually a personal trainer at the new gym down the street.” 

“Personal trainer huh?” Ellie gave him a quick once over, noticing not for the first time the muscles that were clear under his shirt. 

“Yeah. I actually have partial ownership but my friend Jimmy is better at the business side of things so I do the training.” 

“Wow. That sounds a lot more interesting than working in a bookstore.” Ellie tilted her head to the side and Nick watched as her long hair fell over her shoulder in casual waves. 

“Interesting is one way to put it.” She gave him a curious look, silently begging him to continue. “Some of my clients are uh, well they can be a bit much sometimes but I still love it.” 

The conversation flowed smoothly between them and they found themselves enjoying each other’s company immensely. Unlike usual, she didn’t flinch when his hand landed on her arm and instead basked in the feel of his skin on hers. It was a feeling she found herself wanting to know more. 

From her perch behind the counter, Kasie watched as her best friend laughed at something Nick said and she smiled. She had never seen Ellie that happy before, even with her now ex-husband that she had never liked. Kasie was broken out of her thoughts when the two stood up, his hand hovering over the small of her back as they walked out. Pulling her phone out, she wasn’t shocked to see they had been sitting there for over an hour. 

* * *

Since that day, without fail, Nick and Ellie could be seen in the same booth every Tuesday morning, sharing a scone and talking about their weeks. After a month of their “dates,” Kasie made sure there was a reserved sign on their booth every Tuesday, knowing they would spend at least two hours there. It would be week number five of meeting at the coffee shop that Nick would finally ask Ellie out on a date to which she readily agreed to (she would excitedly talk about it later with Kasie who kept telling her it was going to happen.)

Almost a year since they met, Ellie walked into the coffee shop on a Tuesday morning and stopped in her tracks. The lights were turned down low, it was completely silent, and there was no one in sight. 

“Uh Kasie… What’s going on?” She looked around, not seeing her friend anywhere. Suddenly, music started playing from the speakers and she gasped when she realized it was her and Nick’s song. A throat clearing turned her attention toward the back and for the first time she noticed their table was covered in rose petals and candles, Nick standing next to it. “Nick?” 

Stepping towards her silently, he reached out and grabbed her hand in his, pulling her to the back corner. Following his instructions, Ellie sat down in her usual spot and watched as Nick crossed to the counter, reached over, and grabbed something. His back still turned to her, he started talking. 

“Almost a year ago, I was standing here looking over at this beautiful woman in the corner booth who in no way would ever be interested in me. With some prompting from Kasie I made my way over to her and said the worst line possible.” He started walking over to her now and she let out a giggle as she remembered his line but then gasped as she saw what he was holding. “But somehow that didn’t deter her and I had the best morning of my life just sitting there, drinking coffee and talking.” Now at the table, he kneeled down in front of her. “Ellie, that morning I knew there was something special about you and I was right. You love to dance in the rain and wear my old concert tees and, as much as you claim to hate PDA, you love to kiss me when you know people are watching and I love you all the more for it. And as much as I love our Tuesday morning coffee dates I would really love to make those happen every morning.” Tears were now freely flowing down her face and she put a hand over her mouth when he opened the box to reveal a gorgeous antique ring. “Eleanor Bishop. I love you so much. Will you marry me?” 

“Oh my- yes. Absolutely yes!” Sliding the ring on her finger, she had a split second to admire it before he was standing up and pulling her into a passionate kiss. Her hands went to the back of his head while he cupped her cheeks. Breathless, they pulled back, sharing a soft kiss before resting their foreheads together. 

From the back, Kasie watched her friend's proposal on the security cameras, cheering and high fiving with Jimmy when Ellie said yes. 

* * *

Eight months later, Nick would once again rent out the entire coffee shop for their rehearsal dinner, wanting to celebrate their upcoming marriage with their family and friends in the same place they met. 

* * *

Two years later, Nick and Ellie would walk into the coffee shop together, this time with their baby in the stroller for her first outing. Like every Tuesday before Lilliana was born they went straight for their booth, the reserved sign labeled “Torres Family” claiming their table. 

* * *

Even as their family grew, Nick and Ellie could still be found every Tuesday morning sitting in the back corner booth of Kasie’s shop, sometimes alone sometimes with their kids, but always sharing a scone and laughing like it was the day they met.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Dan + Shay's "Nothin Like You"


End file.
